Ichihime Week 2
by jylener22
Summary: Another Ichihime Week from over on Tumblr. Each one-shot is independent of my other works, but some of them will build on ideas from previous stories
1. Love at first sight

"So Orihime," began Rukia before she drew in a sharp breath, rubbed her rounded belly and said ruefully, "Silly kid only stops lying on top of my bladder long enough to drift up and give my ribs a few cracks by kicking them."

Giving her friend a sympathetic smile as she rested her hand on her own pregnant belly, Orihime winced as she said, "I know the feeling. Before Reika and Ayaka were born, they were quite active, but this one," she looked down at her belly as she said, "seems to be a bit calmer."

"Good for you," said Rukia with another wince and a push against her ribcage, "I certainly hope that if I have any more kids," glaring in Renji's direction, Rukia said slowly, "and that's a big if," before she looked back at Orihime and finished, "they won't be quite as destructive as this one."

Laughing softly, Orihime looked over where her husband was playing with the Reika and Ayaka in the grass. It was a lovely summer day and the girls had just turned a year old about two months previously and so were toddling around after their father and 'Mr. Renji', who were both blowing huge bubbles for the girls' amusement.

Rukia and Renji had travelled over from Soul Society to spend the day since Rukia was nearing her seventh month and wouldn't be able to travel soon. While Orihime loved to see all her friends from Soul Society, she was rather grateful that only Renji and Rukia had come to their house since she got tired easily anymore. Huge parties with family and friends could wait until after this baby was born.

After the girls had been born, Orihime had had no doubts that Ichigo adored both his daughters. In the privacy of their home, Ichigo would spend as much time as possible holding them, talking to them (while he would hold imaginary conversation with them, Ichigo never ever resorted to 'ludicrous baby talk'), playing with them and doing everything possible to make them smile or laugh hysterically.

In addition to all that, not only was Ichigo more than willing to take over feeding and changing diapers, he didn't seem to have any problem sorting through various outfits to dress them in, combing their hair…the whole nine yards. Sometimes, Orihime thought he was better at putting together outfits for the girls than she was. He had even gone out to buy a special edition porcelain tea set for each girl to receive on their tenth birthday.

Then, when they had discovered that Orihime was pregnant again, lots of people had started asking if Ichigo was hoping to have a son this time around. His response had been to shrug his shoulders and say that he would love the child whether it was a boy or a girl. Because the baby was due around Ichigo's birthday, he had specifically requested that they not be told what the baby's sex was as presents were best when they were a surprise.

All this went through Orihime's mind a few moments before Rukia asked, "So Orihime, what I wanted to ask is if you think Ichigo really cares if this baby is a boy or girl."

Looking thoughtfully over at her spouse tickling Reika, Orihime said slowly, "Ichigo has said himself that he'll love the child whether it's a boy or girl and I know he means it."

Turning her gaze to Rukia, Orihime went on, "To be perfectly honest, I think Papa Isshin is more excited about the possibility of a grandson this time around," she chuckled as she said, "Recently, Ichigo and I found out that he tried to bribe the ultra-sound techs into telling him whether the baby was a boy or girl."

"And how did that go over?" asked Rukia.

"Well," answered Orihime with a grin, "they were about to tell him when he was suddenly distracted by a young doctor looking a little too long at his 'precious baby daughters'."

Wincing slightly at the memory, Orihime finished with, "I was almost tempted to use my powers to heal poor Papa Isshin since I thought Karin's fist and foot had caused permanent damage to his face…but Ichigo said he'd bounce back within 24 hours or less."

Quirking an eyebrow and staring long and hard over at Ichigo, Rukia said slowly, "I wonder…"

Orihime tried to lean forward, with no success, and asked quickly, "Wonder what?"

"Isshin and Ichigo are related," continued Rukia rather ominously, "and they do say that the apple never falls far from the tree…so…"

Catching Rukia's drift, Orihime looked wide-eyed over where her husband was still playing with the girls yet trying to keep Reika from throwing herself into a small puddle. Thinking hard, Orihime tried to use her fertile imagination to picture Ichigo acting like Papa Isshin. She couldn't do it. Even though Ichigo would go to a lot of trouble to dress the girls at times, he didn't go around shouting about how adorable they were and every male character had better steer clear of them or he'd slice them with Zangetsu. He'd just make them back off with a scowl.

Suddenly, Orihime's imaginings were interrupted when she heard high pitched crying. Automatically zeroing in on the source, she saw that Ayaka had fallen down face first.

Struggling to force herself into an upright position, Ichigo evidently knew what Orihime wanted and called over, "Just stay there! I'll bring her!" before going over to scoop up the wailing girl.

When Ayaka came within sight of Orihime, she held out her arms to her mother, started squirming in Ichigo's arms and cried all the louder. As Ichigo got closer, Orihime held out her arms in response to receive Ayaka.

Settling the little girl against her side so that Ayaka's head was nestled under her chin, Orihime crooned softly, "There, there Ayaka. It's ok," and went on for a minute or two while Ayaka alternately wiggled around to get closer to her mother, clenched Orihime's shirt and/or hair as she sobbed and whimpered, "Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma," which was the closest she or her sister had ever come to saying 'Mama'.

Meanwhile, Reika had toddled over under Ichigo and Renji's supervision and when she saw Ayaka receiving all her mother's attention, her bottom lip started to tremble and her eyes filled.

Thinking quickly (and also wanting to have a chance to hold one of the girls since she hadn't done so in a while…which meant about 20 minutes ago), Rukia leaned forward as much as her belly would allow and said, "Oh Reika," and when the little girl looked in her direction, Rukia blew a handful of snowflakes in the little girl's direction.

Sucking in a breath so that her small mouth was in a perfect 'O' shape, Reika stood frozen for a moment until Rukia did it again and she squealed in delight and started babbling, "Shoo frsh frsh da BOOM!"

As Reika clambered over to chatter away with Rukia, Ichigo said drily, "I guess it really is like Christmas in July now."

Crossing his arms and giving Rukia a meaningful look, Ichigo went on, "You do realize that you'll probably have to do that trick for the next 10 years or so, right?"

Giving Ichigo an 'oh-be-quiet' expression, Rukia went back to conjuring snowflakes and 'conversing' with Reika…only she had no qualms using 'baby talk'.

As the day wore on, all four girls lost lots of energy, so the two males decided it was time to break up the get-together. Supporting his spouse, Renji helped Rukia through the Spirit Portal just before they both turned around to give a final wave. Standing with his arm around the shoulders of his own wife, Ichigo held Reika while Orihime still cuddled Ayaka before turning and taking them all into the house.

The twins were completely worn out after the day's activities and so put up little fuss when their parents got them ready for bed. Within a few minutes, the sound of light toddler breathing could be heard from the nursery over the baby monitors in the master bedroom, which allowed the two adults to settle in comfortably for the night. However, it was not to last.

Apparently, the youngest Kurosaki was anxious to make an appearance and so signals of the event started at around midnight. Staying calm in the face of pressure, Ichigo immediately picked up his cell to call over to his father and sisters to let them know that they needed to babysit the twins right away. Less than ten minutes later, they arrived, looking puffy-eyed, yet excited as they quietly went into the house and wished Ichigo and Orihime luck with the delivery.

Everything went smoothly at the hospital with getting Orihime a room and settling her in…Ichigo just couldn't stand the couple they had to share a room with. The wife was a 'screamer' and this was apparently her first delivery since she constantly upbraided her husband for not bringing enough protection on their honeymoon or something. The husband was completely frazzled and tried his best to keep up with his wife's demands for ice or juice or snacks or whatever, but it seemed to Ichigo that the poor guy was fighting a losing battle.

The only signs Ichigo ever got from Orihime that she was in pain was when she would squeeze his hand or wince and hold her side. Even when she squeezed his hand, Ichigo could tell that a part of her brain was telling her not to hurt Ichigo just because she was hurting.

After a particularly long contraction, Orihime opened her eyes to give Ichigo a small smile as she said, "I do hope your birthday present arrives soon. Tomorrow is your birthday, so it will be a bit early…"

Kissing the side of her head, Ichigo said quietly, "That would be nice."

Two hours later, Makoto Kurosaki was born.

As tired as she was, when she heard that the baby was a boy, Orihime immediately looked over at Ichigo thinking that his face would be grinning to hear that he had a son. However, what she saw instead confused her and at the time, she didn't have enough strength to think through the implications of what she witnessed.

Ichigo was completely stunned. Not in a 'are-you-serious-I'm-so-excited-I-have-a-son-now' way, but more of a 'what-am-I-going-to-do-with-a-boy' or 'I-wanted-another-girl-for-my-birthday' way.

After the nurse had cleaned Makoto up, she brought him over to give to Ichigo. Without thinking, Ichigo held out his arms to hold the infant and then spent a few seconds looking at Makoto thoughtfully.

Smiling through her tears, Orihime said softly, "Happy Birthday Ichigo. You have a son."

Looking up at the sound of Orihime's voice, Ichigo gave her a grin as he came to her side to kiss her and say, "We have a son," then he looked down at the tiny bundle and said with a chuckle, "Well little guy, guess we're going to have to call your aunts to go out and buy some things for you since I don't think you'll want your sisters' hand-me-downs."

As long as she lived, Orihime would never forget that moment. It was very uncommon for fathers not to get excited when they heard that they had a son. In some ways, it was the dream of most fathers to have a son to play sports with, go hunting and just all around do 'guy stuff' with. However, her husband was a very uncommon person and she loved him for it.

**Author's Note:**

Well, doing another Ichihime Week, but I don't think many of these stories are going to be very long, so it hopefully should not detract from my attention to any of my other stories.

Anyway, after seeing the prompt for this first day, I immediately thought about a father meeting his child for the first time. It's also based around a story I heard about a father who reacted in the same way after having all daughters and then at the end having a son. I thought it was sweet and decided to put Ichigo in that position.

Hope you enjoyed it. :)


	2. Promise

_Pre-Author's Note: This one-shot sort of builds off of an idea that I developed in my previous Ichihime Week entitled 'Rock Band AU'. While reading the other story is not completely necessary to understand this one, it may be helpful to read it since I am planning on also creating a second chapter in this Ichihime Week series that will use Ichigo and Orihime's band again. Just an fyi._

"You have got to be kidding. Uh-uh. No way. Never in a million years. Nope. Can't make me."

"Would you quit acting like a spoiled brat already?! You know Shuhei can't sing lead on this one since his voice is still recovering. Just this once, please?"

"No, no, no, no, no and a thousand times NO!"

"What's going on in here?"

"Thank God you're here! Please Uryu, you have to talk some sense into Ichigo. He needs to sing lead on this one and he just won't."

"Aren't you a little old to be throwing tantrums like this Ichigo?"

"Lay off, will you? Just take a look at these lyrics! They're revolting! Who in their right mind would sing them anyway?"

"Well, only one of the most popular female punk rock vocalists would write it to begin with and then record it on one of her best-selling albums…but I'm guessing that's not really what you were asking me, is it?"

"You're no help at all."

"I don't think I was brought into this debate to help you, Ichigo."

"Enough! Enough! We don't have time for this! Ichigo, you need to be ready and on that set in less than fifteen minutes or so help me-"

"Excuse me…I couldn't help overhearing…is there a problem?"

"Why Orihime! You are an angel sent by heaven!"

"I am?"

"But of course! My don't you look stunning! That dress really does a lot to flatter your figure. Don't you think so boys?"

"Well…yeah…"

"I must confess that I am quite impressed with the skill of stitchery. Is that a-"

"Really Uryu? That's the best you've got?"

"I fail to see what I have said in error."

"Honestly, you boys will be the death of me…"

"Umm…pardon me…but is there something you need from me Rangiku because otherwise I think Isane wanted to finish-"

"Of course, of course! You need to finish getting ready for your big part in today's shoot. Today's ROMANTIC shoot with the dashing YUMICHIKA who is DROP DEAD GORGEOUS and loves beautiful women LIKE YOURSELF! Yes, you do need to get ready for all that, don't you?"

"Umm…yes…uh, Ichigo do you-"

"Oh no, Orihime! Ichigo was just about to finish getting ready to go out there…weren't you, Ichigo?"

"…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say?"

"I said…I'll be ready in five."

"Excellent! See you out there! Come on now Orihime. I want to see Isane put the finishing touches on you."

"Oh, ok. I'll see you out there, Ichigo."

"Yeah, I'll see you there, Orihime."

* * *

Four minutes later, Ichigo meandered into place for final touch-ups on his make-up and then settled himself grudgingly behind a drum set complete with hanging microphone for him to sing into.

Today A.Q.E.S. were going to shoot a music video for their cover of Avril Lavigne's 'Slipped Away' which would feature the popular actor/supermodel Yumichika Ayasegawa as well as the beautiful pianist/vocalist Orihime from up and coming musical group Chappy Fanatics. While there would be some scenes that the director was going to have to shoot in the next day or so, the plan was to film the majority of the almost four minute video today. Shunsui Kyoraku was a director who liked to jump into a project full force and finish in as little time as possible since he went by the phrase 'strike while the iron is hot'…or in his case 'cameras don't ever stop rolling so you'll stay there as long as it takes'. As such, Ichigo was irritated about today's events for several reasons.

First of all, he really, really, really, REALLY didn't like having to sing the lead. However, as Rangiku and several others had pointed out, Shuhei needed a break this time around and Ichigo sounded the most 'authentic' when singing in English. Ichigo had always had a knack for imitating things that he heard…he just didn't necessarily display the talent very much because he thought it was silly. In this case, he really wished he hadn't shown off his skill of singing all the English words correctly because now he was stuck singing lead.

Second, Ichigo wasn't too thrilled with the casting of this project. Either have Yumichika play the guy or Orihime play the girl, but don't have them working together. Or even better, don't cast Orihime in any role for this video at all unless the guy she was working with was…he was going to have to keep a lid on those thoughts. Grimmjow was the one who went off the nut, not him.

Think of the devil, suddenly Ichigo looked up from doing a sound check on his tom-toms to see Grimmjow with his blue eyes twinkling evilly as he drawled, "Well, well, well. Looks like a pretty little kitten is starting to grow up, eh?"

Before Ichigo could respond, his attention was arrested by a vision in white. More specifically, Orihime dressed as an angel. Her role in the video was to portray the deceased love interest of the male character, so Isane, the costume designer and make-up artist, had dressed Orihime up as a kind of angel.

"She looks good, doesn't she?" asked Grimmjow in the same tone as before.

Deciding not to take Grimmjow's bait, Ichigo tried shoving his irritation even deeper as he said curtly, "Yeah, she does."

The rest of the band members arrived on set, saving Ichigo from any more irksome Grimmjow comments…at least for the moment.

Adjusting his guitar strap and checking his amp level, Shuhei grinned at Ichigo sympathetically as he asked, "Doing all right there?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Ichigo replied, "Yeah, I'll be fine. How's the voice?"

Turning a few knobs and then strumming a chord, Shuhei responded absentmindedly, "Oh I'll be fine just singing back-up today."

Walking over from his keyboard, Renji asked, "Has anyone seen Rangiku lately?"

Looking up from tuning his own guitar, Kira said vaguely, "I saw her not that long ago fussing over Orihime. Why do you ask?"

Crossing his arms and looking off-set, Renji replied, "Nothing really. Just asking."

From the other side of the set came Rangiku's breezy tone, "I'm here! And look who I've brought my pretty boys!"

At the sound of Rangiku's voice everyone turned to look at her. Renji immediately uncrossed his arms and tried to stand up straighter when he saw who she had brought with her.

"Hey guys," called over Rukia while she was followed by the other members of Chappy Fanatics, "How's it going?"

After giving Renji a few moments to respond and finally having sympathy on the guy, Shuhei said politely, "I haven't seen the director around or Yumichika so I don't know when we're going to get started here. However," he nodded in Orihime's direction, "I think she's all ready if you want to talk to her before we start."

All the girls turned and then clustered around Orihime 'oohing' and 'ahhing' over her outfit and make-up. From what Ichigo could see, having her friends there to support her definitely helped to calm Orihime's nerves. Looking over at Rangiku and seeing her smile, Ichigo figured he'd have to say something to his manager later…something nice that is.

Twirling his drumsticks, Ichigo was about to make a comment about wanting to start when a voice called out happily, "All right people! Let's get this show on the road! Get the cameras ready! Everyone in place?"

Looking up, Ichigo started to wonder exactly what he had gotten himself into. Shunsui was a…was a…well, Ichigo wished he had a thesaurus to use so he could find a suitable word. Long brown hair that just about reached his waist was pulled back with a hair tie decorated with flowery hair pins. Apparently, flowers were Shunsui's trademark as they were everywhere on, over, in, pinned to, hanging upon and just all over his outfit. Didn't matter what kind of flower or color, they were just everywhere on the guy.

Behind the flamboyant director, came his very professional yet plain looking assistant Nanao, who looked over everyone on and around the set and said in a straight tone, "Almost everyone is in place. We only seem to be missing Yumichika."

"Present," drawled a perfectly cultured tone.

Taking a look at Yumichika, Ichigo didn't know if he wanted to snort with laughter, ignore him and hope the shoot would be done quickly or what. His options changed drastically when the supermodel started making his way over to his leading lady for the day.

Standing at Orihime's elbow, Yumichika reached over to take Orihime's hand and draw her attention towards himself as he said in what Ichigo could only define as a 'sly slimy snake' tone, "A pleasure to finally make the acquaintance of someone as…" here he paused to lean down and kiss Orihime's hand, "…beautifully exquisite as you."

Letting go of Orihime's hand to lay a hand over his heart, Yumichika went on, "One of the perks of being as famous and…" here he paused so that he could smooth back his already perfect hair ('preening' was what Ichigo would call it), "…stunningly beautiful as myself is that I can demand to only work with people who will add to the beautiful standard I have set."

Not knowing what else to say, Orihime said quietly, "Umm…all right…I look forward to working with you today."

"And I you," here Yumichika's tone changed slightly as he took in Orihime's hair and costume and he said in a less egotistical tone, "Your costume and make-up were done quite well. I hope you're happy with it."

Beaming and looking over to where Isane was quietly applying touch-up make-up to Shuhei, Orihime said brightly, "Yes! Isane is wonderful to work with. She does such good work and is so thoughtful."

With a more sincere grin that made Ichigo wonder, Yumichika said quietly as he fingered his own costume, "I agree," before his mask was back in place and he asked airily, "Shall we proceed to the set?"

The set was sectioned off into three parts. On the left was a pure white room where Orihime would shoot the bulk of her scenes. In the middle was where A.Q.E.S. was set up and their costumes were all gray to match the backdrop. And on the far right was a room for Yumichika. His costume and the room were all pitch black. However, unlike in the other rooms, in that room were two colored props that included a framed photo of Orihime holding a rose and that same rose in a vase.

When everyone was settled into their respective positions, Shunsui gave one long look at the camera monitors and then around at the actors and musicians on set before he spread his arms and said dramatically, "Let's have fun working together and do the best we can today!"

Waiting a few moments to let people applaud politely, Shunsui lowered his arms to cross them over his chest as he said in a less theatrical tone, "Everyone was sent notes on what this music video is about, but I usually like to spend a few minutes before we start shooting just to make sure everyone is on the same page."

Making eye contact with everyone in turn, Shunsui said, "On the surface, the story behind this music video is that the female character died and so slipped away from the man she loved. However, I want to take things a little deeper."

Nodding his head in Orihime's direction, he went on, "Our angel is trying to make her way over to her lover, but can't because he has slipped into a place she cannot enter. Without meaning to, he has shut himself away and cut off his connection with her. She wants to save him before it is too late."

Looking around, Shunsui asked, "Any questions?" when no one spoke up, Shunsui grinned and said, "Then with that, why don't we get started?"

While A.Q.E.S. would likely do some recording of the track within a studio, for this video Shunsui had requested that they play it live in order to get real footage of them playing and singing. So things started with Renji at the keyboard before the cameras switched to focusing on Ichigo as he sang the opening verse.

"And let's try that again from the top please," called out Shunsui (very few times would he ever tell the cameras to stop rolling in any shoot that he did), "Orihime, could you act more hurt rather than desperate? You can sense that your lover is hurting, but you don't know yet just how bad the situation is."

"Yes sir," came Orihime's voice from the adjoining room.

And so they did it again from the top and this time Ichigo almost got through the first chorus before Shunsui stopped them again.

"That was pretty good, Yumichika, but maybe instead of looking so sad you can simply stare blankly at the wall before you turn your attention to the rose and picture. Remember, he's cutting himself off without realizing it, so there's probably not going to be a lot of emotion in your character, just depression and resignation."

"Of course, director. Whatever you say."

"Good, then let's try it from the bridge into the chorus please."

And on things went for what seemed like an age. Every time they stopped to get direction, Ichigo tried not to think about anything or anyone. Just keep his angst controlled enough to make it through the shoot and then never do something like this ever again.

"All right cut!" called Shunsui suddenly and Ichigo looked up in surprise and a bit of hope that was quickly squelched when he heard, "We're getting some great footage here, but how's about everyone take a lunch break and then we'll finish off a few things afterwards."

Letting out a silent sigh of resignation, Ichigo stretched and set his drumsticks down before he stuffed his hands in his pockets and only just remembered to keep himself from slouching off set. No reason to look like a defeated dog walking away from a fight at this point.

As he walked past the camera monitors, Shunsui was just checking some footage of Orihime's…and Ichigo stopped dead in his tracks. It was from the second chorus and apparently Orihime was starting to realize what was going on with Yumichika because she looked about on the verge of tears. Seeing that expression on Orihime's face made Ichigo's gut churn with mixed emotions.

He was brought out of his dark thoughts by a soft touch on his arm. Looking around, Ichigo's eyes connected with Orihime's. Without saying a word, Orihime asked him a question and when she received Ichigo's silent reply, she grasped his hand and led him into a secluded area.

Keeping hold of his hand, Orihime asked quietly, "What's wrong?"

"How could you tell?" mumbled Ichigo.

Giving him a small smile, Orihime said, "I know all your scowls. From 'you are irritating' to 'get away from my friends' to 'stop being such a jerk'," then squeezing his hand lightly, Orihime went on, "but the scowl you were just wearing said something quite different than usual. You weren't just angry, you were ready to blow your top."

Letting out a sigh, Ichigo said slowly, "It's just that this whole project is so…frustrating."

Scratching his head furiously in irritation, Ichigo went on, "I'm going to sound like a spoiled kid, but I don't want to do this. I don't want to sing lead. I don't want to work with Yumichika. But I especially don't want to see you in love with someone else or crying…even if you are only acting."

There was a period of silence before Orihime said, "I don't know how much help this will be, but…when I'm acting out there…I keep thinking about how you're in the room next to me."

Looking at Orihime in complete surprise, Ichigo let her go on as she said, "I can hear you singing and it's the emotion of your voice that I'm reacting to. Not Yumichika."

"You serious?" asked Ichigo in a tone that was half-hopeful, half-doubtful.

Reaching up to cup Ichigo's face in her hand, Orihime said softly, "Completely," with a light giggle, Orihime went on, "I think Yumichika is doing something similar for his acting as well."

With a confused frown, Ichigo asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I don't think he's picturing me as his angel, but the woman he loves instead."

When Ichigo kept giving Orihime a blank look, she said, "He's thinking about Isane."

"What…you're saying that that guy likes…a guy like him is in love…"

"Yes, Ichigo and don't make it sound like it's such an impossible match. Yumichika has said before that he loves beautiful things and beautiful people. Most people assume that he means expensive, flashy and gaudy, but I think he prefers a more simple, elegant beauty, which is why he's in love with Isane."

Mulling over Orihime's words, Ichigo nodded slowly, "I guess that makes sense…"

Wrapping her arm around Ichigo's neck to pull him down to her level, Orihime kissed him briefly before she asked, "Now can you get through the rest of this shoot without looking like you want to kill someone?"

Drawing her against his chest, Ichigo said in a mock reluctant tone, "I guess so…"

"Good. Because I don't want to work with you professionally ever again if you're going to act like this every time," hastily Orihime added, "Not that I don't understand why you were jealous at first, but I don't think it should affect your work quite like it has today."

"Fine," said Ichigo.

Leaning away from Ichigo before he could kiss her, Orihime asked firmly, "Promise?"

"Promise," Ichigo said quickly before he swooped in for a more substantial kiss.

The rest of the afternoon shooting went smoothly after lunch so that it wasn't long before Shunsui announced, "All right people! Let's check the gate because I think we got it!"

There was loud cheering from the stage and Ichigo immediately made his way over to Orihime's side.

He leaned over to whisper in her ear, "If I ever have to do something like this again and you are involved…I'm playing the male lead. And that's a promise."

**Author's Note:**

Ummm...can't think of anything much to say other than hope you liked it!


	3. Hurt

There was nothing to do except to keep on putting one foot in front of the other and hope there wasn't a crack or missing step. The staircase was as eerie and pitch black as the Witch-King's tomb…and that was a fairly accurate description for where Ichigo was heading at the moment. Whatever had given him this pressing desire, Ichigo had no idea, but here he was and he was not going to leave until he had taken care of business.

Stumbling slightly, Ichigo half-wished he had been given permission to have some sort of light so he could watch where he was going…then, on second thought, considering where he was, Ichigo thought it was probably best that he couldn't see everything around him. Dripping noises and faint echoes were fairly common place sounds for the kind of environment he was in…but he had a sense that there was more to this place since it had been created specifically to contain evil incarnate.

Finally, it seemed as though he reached the end of the staircase and, remembering his instructions, Ichigo turned slightly to the left and felt for a smooth patch on the wall. It took him a few moments, but he finally found it and then muttered the incantation that Soi Fon and Yoruichi had taught him. While he could still seemingly feel the wall under his fingertips, Ichigo took a deep breath and stepped through.

On the other side, Ichigo blinked in the dim light. Even though the light was weak, after having spent such a long time in utter darkness, it was rather blinding at first. When his eyes had adjusted to the glow, Ichigo took in the sight of the man he had come to see.

"Aizen," Ichigo said cooly.

"Ah," replied Aizen, "The young hero has come to view the monster at long last."

Aizen let out a low rumble of a chuckle as he said, "I would invite you to sit down, but as I am currently occupying the only seat in the house…" a slow grin spread across his face as he finished, "…my hands are tied."

Crossing his arms and quirking an eyebrow, Ichigo said, "I would have thought silly puns were beneath someone as powerful and important as you, Aizen."

Giving his best attempt at a careless shoulder roll, Aizen replied, "Ah, every so often one can indulge oneself."

Fixing Ichigo with his exposed brown eye, Aizen said casually, "However, I'm fairly certain you didn't come down here just to banter with me. So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Looking at the floor, Ichigo collected his thoughts and emotions before he returned his cool gaze to Aizen and said matter-of-factly, "I want to know what Grimmjow meant. He said I shouldn't be relieved to see her physically unharmed, but that I should be worried about any internal damage you might have caused her."

Sucking in a breath to calm his rising emotions, Ichigo let it out slowly as he asked, "So, did anything happen to Orihime while she was your prisoner? Was she hurt in any way?"

Silence fell between them for a time before Aizen said thoughtfully, "I find it fascinating that you take for granted that I will simply tell you the truth."

Smiling again, Aizen said, "How do the Americans say it? Oh, yes. I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God…do you think that phrase compels them to actually speak the truth, Ichigo?"

Deciding to follow Aizen's seemingly off-topic remark, Ichigo answered flatly, "Yes, I think it does compel them to be honest and trustworthy," seeing Aizen's eyes start to gleam, Ichigo went on, "but individual people, who only have thoughts of saving or looking out for themselves, can and will ignore that compulsion and lie under oath. The consequences may not catch up with them right away, but eventually goodness, honesty and righteousness conquers wrongdoing."

"Hmm…interesting," said Aizen slowly, "The idealist thoughts are definitely something I would expect from you, but you certainly have a way of expressing yourself a little better now, I think."

Another low chuckle rose from Aizen's chest as he said, "How does the verse go? 'When I was a child, I spoke as a child', I believe. I'm sure there was more to it than that, but it has been so very long since I was allowed to read anything. New or old. I'm afraid my memory is a bit rusty at times."

"You still haven't answered my question," said Ichigo flatly, "Did anything happen to Orihime while she was your prisoner?"

Letting out a long sigh, Aizen said, "And here I was enjoying going back and forth with you about morality issues. Oh well."

Fixing his one brown eye to Ichigo's similar colored eyes, Aizen asked, "Why are you so anxious to find out about this now? Not that I have a very good reference to rely upon, but it seems to me it has been several years since Hueco Mundo and even since your powers have returned, so why didn't you seek me out sooner?"

Closing his eye, Ichigo could imagine Aizen waving his hand dismissively if he had been allowed as he said, "I don't believe it was just because you were so busy with the whole supposed Quincy problem and it required you to acquire some…interesting new powers. So what's the real reason behind this inquiry?"

Even though Ichigo doubted he would ever get a completely truthful answer from the man before him, that was no reason for him to stoop to the same level, so he answered, "Because I love Orihime and I want to marry her."

"Well now," said Aizen in a tone that expressed his interest, "that is certainly a scenario that I considered to be possible but not necessarily plausible."

Adjusting himself slightly in his chair, Aizen said, "And so you want to know if I hypnotized Orihime with Kyoka Suigetsu or if one of my subordinates did something to her that may or may not be detrimental to you or any family the two of you might have in the future."

"No," said Ichigo simply.

"What do you mean by 'no'?"

"What I mean is that I'm not asking because I'm afraid Orihime will do something that she doesn't want to do. I want to know if the woman I love was hurt in any way. I'm not a healer like she is, but I will do whatever I can for her."

Sucking in another deep breath, Ichigo said finally, "I also promised to protect after my first fight with Ulquiorra and Yammy."

Silence fell over the two again for a time before Aizen broke it by saying, "And so you have been torn up by guilt over that comment from Grimmjow because that means that you failed in your promise."

When Ichigo didn't respond, Aizen said, "You always did fascinate me with your determination to protect those weaker than you. I also wonder if this determination stemmed from your circumstances or your personality."

"Ichigo is Ichigo," came a new voice which caused both men to look for its source.

At the prison entrance stood Orihime. She stood blinking in the light for a moment or two before she gave Ichigo a small smile and went over to stand by his side.

With a frown, Ichigo took her hand and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to be with you," said Orihime simply, "I didn't like the thought of you facing him alone again."

"Well," said Aizen, "this is certainly turning into quite the reunion."

Turning her attention to Aizen, Orihime bowed politely as she said, "Hello, Captain Aizen."

Giving Orihime a concerned look, Ichigo said hesitantly, "Umm, Orihime…he's not a captain anymore."

"I know that," said Orihime simply, "but he was at one point, and I can't think of any other way to address him."

Scratching the back of his head, Ichigo admitted, "I guess you have a point."

Squeezing Ichigo's hand lightly, Orihime then let it go so she could take a step towards Aizen as she said, "I've often wondered if they were treating you all right. Have they?"

Attempting another shoulder roll, Aizen said simply, "They mostly let me have time to myself. Supposedly to reflect on all the bad things I've done over the years."

"I see," replied Orihime before she asked, "And that doesn't bother you?"

"Not at all," answered Aizen, "Having seemingly inexhaustible amounts of time to reflect and meditate is exactly what I need to relax and be most productive at the same time."

"I see," repeated Orihime.

Stepping forward to take Orihime's hand, Ichigo asked, "You all right?"

Turning to give him a broad smile, Orihime said, "Of course."

"Ready to go?"

"Only if you are."

Instead of answering Orihime directly, he pulled Orihime towards the wall and laid a hand on it and muttered the exit incantation. As Ichigo was doing that, Orihime turned to take her leave of Aizen.

Bowing politely again, Orihime said, "Good-bye, Captain Aizen."

Looking over at Orihime and then at Aizen, Ichigo inclined his head briefly and said curtly, "Later, Aizen," before he gently guided Orihime through the doorway.

Once again, silence filled the prison cell. How long it lasted no one knows, but slowly a smile spread over Aizen's face.

"Well, Ichigo Kurosaki. You'll do fine."

Whether those words were an ominous prediction, a dire warning or simple statement of fact, who can say? It's not as if the prison walls had ears. And even if they did, who would they tell?

**Author's Note:**

A special thank you to all my friends who adore Aizen...looking mostly at you there, Sari. Hope he came off well in this part. :)

Bonus points to those who can name some of the inspirations for quotes, references or other elements of this story. Maybe you'll even notice something that I hadn't meant to put in there, but somehow managed to do it. :)

As always, enjoy!


	4. Strength

"Well, we've done as much as we possibly can. Now it's up to you. Are you ready?"

"I think so…Are you sure-"

"Orihime, you can't start second-guessing yourself now. All your life, we've been training and preparing you for this moment. If you can't summon the will and courage to do this, there is no one else who can do it for you. You know what that means don't you."

"…Yes, I understand."

"Then let's get started. Tessai, the relics, if you please."

"Here."

"Thank you. Just place this here and…we are ready for the summoning. Orihime, if you will…"

"…I hereby propose, thou shalt come under my command and thy sword shall control my fate. Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail, if thou dost accede to this will and reason, answer me. I hereby swear, I am all that is good in the eternal world. I am the disposer of evil in the eternal world. Thou, clad with the Great Trinity, come forth from the circle of constraint…Guardian of the Heavens!"

Nothing happened for about fifteen seconds. Just when the gathering was about to give up, there was a resounding crash from the adjoining room. Flinching at the sound, everyone turned to rush into the other room with Orihime at the forefront. When she opened the door and scanned the room hastily, her eyes quickly found those of a young man standing about in the center of the room.

He wore long black robes that covered him entirely from the neck down. They were even long enough to drag along the floor behind him so that his feet were hidden from sight. Wrapped around his wrist and reaching his elbows was a kind of silver interlocking pattern that was also used to decorate the edges of the pitch black cloth.

Orihime only took in the appearance of the young man's clothes in her peripheral vision as she was mostly occupied with looking at his face. Even more specifically, his eyes.

His hair was long for a guy, but not long enough to really pull back in a ponytail. The bright orange locks were shaggy in a wind-swept way, yet did not give off the idea that it was unkempt or dirty. His dark brown eyes met Orihime's and they were fierce. If she had never met a natural born warrior before then, she certainly knew that one stood before her now.

When he spoke, Orihime jumped in surprise even though his voice was low and even.

"I ask you, are you my master?"

Too stunned to do anything at first, Orihime just stood there with her mouth slightly agape until someone nudged her gently in the back. Taking two steps forward, Orihime clutched at her clothes, wrung her hands and flicked her eyes nervously between the floor and his eyes while trying to keep the blood from rushing too quickly in her body. Either it was going to go rushing to make her face blush, or pool down in her feet so that she would pass out…both situations were equally undesirable.

Finally finding her voice, Orihime said hesitantly while simultaneously allowing her hair to fall in front of her face and pushing it out of the way, "Umm…yes…yes, I am…"

He didn't respond at first, but scanned her from head to toe. Not in a 'let-me-check-this-woman-out' sort of way, but more as if he were assessing whether or not she was a worthy master for him. In that respect, Orihime almost wished that it was the former.

Seeming to come to a conclusion in his own mind, he asked curtly but not unkindly, "Your name?"

"Ori-" she cleared her throat to keep her voice from cracking, "My name is Orihime Inoue."

Taking another few moments to let that information sink in, eventually, he inclined his head and said rather formally, "And you may call me Saber, Ms. Inoue."

"No."

Looking at her with a scowl, Saber repeated slowly, "No?"

Waving her hands desperately in front of her, Orihime said hastily, "I only meant that you don't have to call me 'Ms. Inoue'. Just use my first name…if that's all right."

It seemed for a time that Saber was going to argue, but eventually he shook his head and said, "Very well then. Orihime it is."

When he said her name, Orihime mentally scolded her heart for skipping a beat as she went on, "We have a room prepared for you to use if you care to get some rest."

"I see," said Saber thoughtfully before he added, "I trust that my room is adjacent to yours in some way."

"I…well…why…" said Orihime helplessly while part of her mind was wondering why in the world he would ask such a thing, another part trying to remind herself to act natural while the rest really wouldn't mind if he was nearby in the middle of the night.

Letting out a long-suffering sigh, Saber answered coolly, "To protect you, of course. This isn't the first Holy Grail War that I've participated in…" suddenly struck with a thought, Saber asked, "You do know what you've gotten yourself into, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" stammered Orihime desperately, "Mr. Urahara and Tessai and Yoruichi and everyone else has been helping me to train to be a master ever since I was twelve!"

Quirking an eyebrow at her, Saber said flatly, "If I'm not mistaken, most people start training potential Holy Grail candidates from the time they can speak and can learn incantations."

"Well I…that is to say…I just…" said Orihime helplessly before she finally got frustrated and declared, "I didn't start training until I was twelve because I lived with my brother, but then he died and Mr. Urahara took me in and discovered that I had the potential to participate in the Holy Grail War, so yes, I had a lot of catching up to do, but I'm grateful everyone was so patient with me and were so willing to help me, so I want to do this for them! They gave me strength when I needed it, so now I want to do the same for them."

Saber's eyebrows had raised so that they were hidden by his long bangs, until Orihime came to her final statement. With those words, Saber's original warrior expression returned. While Orihime couldn't tell, she thought that something she had said had made some sort of impact on Saber…why it had though, Orihime was curious about.

Taking a few steps forward so that Orihime had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye, Saber said solemnly, "You will need my strength and support to reach your goal. Yet I cannot exist in this world without taking strength from you."

Drawing his sword and placing the point in the floor, Saber went on, "From this day on until you have won the Holy Grail War or I die in service to you, I swear on my sword that I will serve you faithfully and will protect you at all costs. My word as a warrior is binding."

Returning Saber's gaze steadily, Orihime said instinctually, "I accept your pledge gratefully, Saber. I promise to do my best to be a master you will be proud to serve."

As Orihime finished and continued looking into Saber's eyes, she couldn't help but wonder. Who was he, really? How had he acquired that look of absolute confidence in his own skill as a warrior? What had he been through in his lifetime? She wanted to know more about him, not so that she could utilize him as a servant, but so that she could get to know him.

Kisuke and Tessai exchanged a look as they observed Orihime's growing fascination with her servant. For the time being, they would simply let things progress and observe. However, they were prepared to intervene should the need arise. It would not be the first time that a master in the Holy Grail War had become romantically attached to their servant…however, those attachments never ended well.

**Author's Note:**

I originally intended to write out this entire idea in one go...then time got away from me and this entire week is just slipping by because my entire evenings are used up going to dress rehearsals and then performances for a musical that I'm performing in. I'm not singing, just playing in the pit, which is fun, but when the rehearsals go long because things aren't coming together on stage like they should...it gets exhausting. Anyway, all that to say that I'll be doing another part of this idea in a later prompt because I just couldn't wrap it up here. Gotta sleep sometime.

Anyway, just briefly, this is a commission/prize that I'm writing for sailorn1 over on dA and she asked if I could do something with Ichihime and the idea of masters and servant from Fate/Zero or Fate/Stay-Night. This is the result. Hope things are making sense so far, but mostly that you are enjoying it. :)


	5. Five Lifetimes

"You've got to be kidding…"

"For the love of Pete, Ichigo, what is it this time?!"

"There's no way I can do this."

"You are absolutely unbelievable, you know that? We went through this on the last music video you did…where's Orihime? Let's bring her in here to talk some sense into your thick skull."

"Rangiku, why don't you take a break?"

"Are you going to convince Ichigo to do this, Shuhei?"

"Well…I can try…"

"…Fine. I need some air anyway."

"Now that she's not here, why don't we go back to the beginning. What exactly is the hold-up this time around? I thought you specifically requested that you be involved when Orihime and the Chappy Fanatics were asked to do a music video."

"…Yeah, I did. It's just that…have you seen the notes Shunsui sent me?"

"No, what's wrong with them?"

"Well, there are two versions of this video depending on when the song is done in Mandarin and English. The Mandarin one is pretty straight forward, but the English one…"

"What's wrong with it?"

"What's NOT wrong with it is more the question here. Have you read some of the things Shunsui wants me to do?"

"Umm…no because this isn't a project for A.Q.E.S. We're just here to support you."

"…He gave me four different characters that I'm going to be. He even gave them all different names. Here, read this."

"Ok…'scene starts with female lead sleeping'…'she has a dream where she's in a desert'…'a dashing hero'…oh, I see."

"Yeah, look at that name. 'Irodonio'. Who comes up with a stupid name like that?"

"Umm…"

"And look at my other characters' names. 'Iano', 'Idino', 'Iymo'…they sound like names from a cheesy soap opera."

"Well…"

"And look at the kinds of things they do. Irodonio is a cowboy, Iano is a gentleman…"

"Yeah, guess you couldn't pull that character off."

"Shut it, Grimmjow or so help me-"

"Oh yeah-"

"Don't you two even think about fighting. First of all, Rangiku would kill you both for causing a scene. Then, she'd resurrect you only to kill you again for making her look bad. And she'd do the same thing over again just because."

"Yeah whatever. Anyway, then we've got Idino who's a space cadet and Iymo who goes off to war…actually, maybe that wouldn't be so bad…"

"Ok, so maybe most of the ideas are pretty cheesy…"

"Uryu, you're not helping…"

"However, like Shuhei said earlier, you explicitly said that you wanted to work alongside Orihime if she ever took on this kind of project again."

"Yeah…so?"

"So…do you really want to go back on your word and have Orihime do her roles alongside someone else?"

"Yeah…Ichigo, why don't you just throw in the towel and I'll-"

"Not on your life Grimmjow. As for your question, Uryu, I'm not going to back out now…I'm just not happy about being put in this position."

"Well, it certainly could be worse."

"How exactly?"

"Shunsui could have made one of your characters be a gladiator and made you wear a leather diaper."

"…Good point."

* * *

Crisis having been averted for the time being, Ichigo went about filming the scenes in his various roles alongside Orihime. The music videos were for the anniversary edition of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and Chappy Fanatics had been asked (Ichigo couldn't figure out why a J-Pop group had been asked to sing a Mandarin song…he thought he had heard it to do with collaboration between recording studios in different countries or something along those lines) to re-record both versions of the song that had originally been sung by CoCo Lee. Also, instead of Yo-Yo Ma playing cello, Shining Stars Studio had requested that their own Ulquiorra Cifer be allowed to play the cello part.

Why Shunsui had decided that the Mandarin and English versions had to have different storylines, Ichigo could only guess. He was just grateful that the filming schedule was arranged so that they got the English version done first so that he was finished with 'Irodonio' (he definitely had the toughest time getting into character there…the guy was supposed to have a 'cool, smiling, dashing hero charm' and smiling was not something Ichigo did well, however, he somehow managed well enough since Shunsui got the footage he wanted), 'Iano', 'Idino' and 'Iymo' within a week. Never had a week drained so much out of him physically, mentally and emotionally.

The one thing that kept him grounded the whole time was the fact that almost all of his scenes included Orihime. Her smile never stopped the entire time they were working together, so it was easier for Ichigo to act along with her because she was completely herself and it allowed him to react naturally to her. His smiles for her were real because she wasn't acting as if she was in love with him. Ichigo knew she really was and so was demonstrating…even if her clothes and hair were arranged in different ways than what he was used to.

Finally, however, the first music video's footage was captured and sent off to the editing department and everyone was given three days to rest before they started filming the second.

For this video, Ichigo felt much more comfortable in the role since he got to play a Mongol warrior. Getting to work with weapons was something Ichigo had always wanted to do. Even though he was paid to be a singer, he was a guy. Playing with potentially life-threatening objects was something most guys were into and Ichigo was no exception. He was especially pumped up because he was going to actually fight with a sword and shoot arrows. While Rangiku had wanted to insist on using a stunt double, Ichigo was secretly grateful that Shunsui had decided to allow him to shoot the majority of the action sequences.

The first day of shooting was primarily his action sequences then him getting wounded and falling into a river. The second day was when Ichigo's character met Orihime and she was a member of the royal court who happened to discover Ichigo's nearly lifeless body. She decides to take him in and heal him and in the process the two of them fall in love.

When it came time to film the scene where Orihime finds him in the river, Ichigo had not yet seen Orihime in her costume because Shunsui had not allowed him to.

"I want a natural reaction from you when you see her for the first time," said Shunsui simply to which Ichigo rolled his eyes and went off to get himself ready for the scene by getting totally soaked.

However, when the cameras started rolling and Ichigo heard Orihime run over to pull him from the river and lay his head in her lap, it was all he could do not to sneak a peek. Counting slowly to five in his head, like he had been told to, Ichigo then slowly opened his eyes…and it was all he could do to stay in character and not gape stupidly at Orihime.

Her hair flashed and shimmered as the light reflected off all the golden jewelry woven through and poked in all her head. Her face and neck were painted white, but only just barely because her skin was naturally pale and without a single blemish. Traditional make-up had also been applied, but again, only just enough so that she looked good on camera under all the lights. Then, there was her dress. Primarily scarlet, there were patches of gold all over and golden embroidery as well as just small hints of deep purple every so often.

Stunning. Breath-taking. Amazing. Those words just didn't cut it in Ichigo's mind. Orihime was just…

Ichigo was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he almost forgot that his character was supposed to pass out again, but he managed to do so and hoped that it came off well. Much to his surprise, Shunsui had them run the scene once more and then they were done.

When they were finished, Ichigo stopped Orihime before she could dash off and take everything off and he said, "You look…"

Smiling brightly up at Ichigo, Orihime said, "I'm glad you like it. Isane designed it to be like the dresses from the Tang dynasty," looking down at herself and raising her arms so that she could admire the floor length sleeves, she went on, "I feel so beautiful in this dress. I'll have to give Isane a big hug."

Looking back up at Ichigo, Orihime grinned, "And you haven't seen the three other dresses she's made for me yet…"

The final scene of the music video was supposed to seem as though it ended tragically with Ichigo and Orihime jumping off a cliff into blinding light, but since Shunsui had decided to go with the idea of 'love before time' from the song, the storyline had begun in the Tang dynasty and then jumped ahead at the very end to the Qing dynasty, which is when 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' had been set. So, the music video ended with the reincarnated souls of Ichigo and Orihime meeting each other again in another lifetime and rekindling their love.

As they were leaving the studio for the final time, Ichigo stretched his arms above his head and said with a groan, "Man, I'm glad that's over with."

"You didn't enjoy it at all?" Orihime asked.

Shaking his head, Ichigo explained, "No, it's not that. It's just that I only really enjoyed myself when I was able to convince myself that it was just the two of us. That there were no cameras around filming everything we did."

"I guess I can agree with that," smiling, Orihime said, "It was nice to imagine…"

Waiting a few seconds for Orihime to go on, Ichigo finally asked, "Imagine what?"

"That it was all real," answered Orihime simply, "That you and I really did fall in love with each other and live in all those time periods and everything."

"Hmm," said Ichigo thoughtfully before he asked, "If you had to pick, which lifetime would you have picked to live out?"

Turning her head to the side so that he couldn't see her eyes gleam suspiciously or her knowing grin, Orihime answered slowly, "Which lifetime…each of them was so much fun…and I really had a good time dressing up…"

Then, smacking a fist in her opposite hand decidedly, Orihime said finally, "But I think I would have the most fun living in the Old West with Irodonio!"

Ichigo stopped dead in his tracks and said in disbelief, "You're kidding," before he looked at Orihime more closely and said with conviction, "You are kidding, aren't you."

Giggling helplessly, Orihime said breathlessly, "I'm sorry, but you should have seen your expression just now. I don't think I've ever seen you look so completely dumbfounded."

"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo said with a sigh, "have a good laugh on me. Go on, let it out."

Finally getting her giggles under control, Orihime said more seriously, "Joking aside, I really did enjoy working with you these past few weeks," her usual smile returning, she went on, "Each time we did a new lifetime, it was like we were falling in love for the first time all over again."

"Yeah, that was nice," said Ichigo before he thought of something and tried to keep the grin from his own face as he said flatly, "There was just one thing wrong with the whole project."

Looking up at Ichigo in complete shock, Orihime asked, "What was wrong?"

"Something was missing the whole time."

"What?" asked Orihime in alarm.

"This," said Ichigo before he scooped Orihime into his arms and kissed her properly.

When they eventually broke apart, Orihime said thoughtfully, "I guess we did miss something important. Do you think we should go back and tell Shunsui that we need to film some more scenes?"

"No," said Ichigo emphatically, "These are to stay between us."

Orihime reflected for a few moments before she shrugged her shoulders and said cheerily, "All right!" before she leaned forward to kiss Ichigo again.

**Author's Note:**

For anyone who has requested or asked about an update on my work 'The Common Thread'...I'm not entirely sure this was the way in which I would revisit that story and that is exactly what I was counting on. :)

As per usual for me, ask me where I got this idea and I'll just say that it's a funny story...I was mowing the lawn, actually. Listening to my iPod and cutting the grass when the song that I used in here came on, the wheels in my head started moving slowly and then built up speed as I started piecing it together in my mind.

Also, this story is dedicated to a dear and faithful friend who has often commented to me on how she enjoys imagining Ichigo and Orihime in Chinese and Mongol clothing. This is for you, sweetheart.

Anyway, I hope it made sense, but mostly that you liked it. :)


	6. Family

"Hey, I was wondering…if maybe sometime this weekend, you might want to go out with me?"

"Oh…with anyone else?"

"Umm…no…I was thinking it would just be the two of us."

"Oh…I see…"

"If you already have plans, I completely understand. I just thought I'd ask since I…since I've liked you for a while now and…I want to go out with you."

"Oh…well, you see-"

"Like I said, it's not a big deal if you can't make it-"

"That isn't what I was going to say. I'd like to go out with you, but…"

"But? You like someone else, don't you?"

"No! It's not like that! My parents said that my sisters and I had to bring any guy we liked home to meet them before we could go out with them."

"Oh, well that's fine too."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure. I'd love to meet your family."

"Great! I'll talk to them tonight and then let you know what they say tomorrow."

"All right. Well…I guess I'd better get going then."

"Yeah…me too."

"Later."

"See you."

* * *

Saturday morning began overcast with a slight drizzle, but by early afternoon the weather had cleared up. It was turning into a fine spring day.

Shou Kazehaya walked down the sidewalk with a decent sized bag clutched in his hand. He would be seventeen in two months and recently had grown about half a foot, so there were quite a few times that he would trip over his own feet since he wasn't used to his height yet. He was of average weight and not too skinny, not too bulky when it came to build and muscles. His hair was jet black while his eyes were dark brown. He wasn't drop-dead gorgeous or particularly handsome in the way most people think, but he had an air of confidence and openness that was irresistible.

Arriving at his destination, Shou stood outside the gate rechecking the house number to make absolutely sure it was the right one. Then, he rummaged through his bag to make sure all the presents he had gotten were actually there. All presents were accounted for, so he took a deep breath and reached out to press the doorbell.

It was a few seconds before a voice came from the intercom, "Yeah! Who is it?"

Clearing his throat, Shou answered, "My name is Shou-"

"Ouch! Nobu! That was my foot!"

"Quit your whining, Sayuri. I didn't step on it that hard."

"You did it on purpose, didn't you?!"

"Why would I possibly want to do that?"

"Umm…excuse me…" said Shou uncertainly, "…this is the Kurosaki house, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. And who is this exactly?" said the voice of Nobu.

"Umm…" Shou said slowly before he tried again, "my name is Shou Kaze-"

"Nobu! Sayuri! What are you two doing over there?"

"We're talking to someone outside, Mom!"

"Oh, merciful heavens! And you two are just standing there arguing?! Go open the door this instant and greet our guest properly!"

"I'll do it, Mom!"

Shou smiled when he heard her voice. She had a way of doing that to him. A few seconds later, Shou heard the door unlock and Reika hurried to the front gate.

"Sorry about that," said Reika breathlessly as she unlocked the gate to let him in, "I heard the doorbell, but I couldn't get down there fast enough."

"That's fine," answered Shou with a grin.

Looking up at Shou, a smile slowly lit up Reika's face to match Shou's as she said, "I'm glad you agreed to come."

Just as Shou was about to answer, a voice called from the doorway, "Reika! Why don't you bring him in so we can be introduced?"

In the doorway stood Reika's mother, while just behind her was Ayaka, whom Shou knew from school. All three ladies shared the same hair color, only Ayaka chose to grow it long like her mother, while Reika kept it about shoulder length or a little shorter and she also had bangs. However, all three shared the same brilliant smile that could make anyone feel important.

Stepping over the threshold, Shou bowed and said politely, "Thank you very much for inviting me. I am Shou Kazehaya."

Returning the bow, Orihime said warmly, "And I am Mrs. Kurosaki. Welcome to our home."

Turning at the sound of footsteps, Orihime said, "Allow me to introduce Reika and Ayaka's siblings. Over here we have Nobu and Sayuri."

Nobu and Sayuri both looked between twelve and thirteen years old. Nobu had dark brown, almost black, hair and gray eyes like his mother, while Sayuri's hair was a brilliant shade of orange and she had honey-colored eyes. Both had slightly cowed expressions, as if they had just been recently scolded for fighting.

As one, they bowed and said, "Nice to meet you," while their mother gave them a small smile and slight nod of approval.

"And here we have Natsuki."

About ten years old, Natsuki grinned as he bowed and said, "Nice to meet ya! Wanna play a game later?"

"Umm…sure," replied Shou automatically, "Why not."

"This is Makoto."

Shou had seen Makoto at school, but since they hadn't really come into contact before, Shou bowed and said, "Pleased to meet you."

While Makoto returned the bow, he didn't say anything. Shou got the feeling that those dark eyes missed very little and yet revealed even less. It wasn't that Makoto was unfriendly or aloof, from what Shou had seen. He just tended to be more of an observer or listener. Rather like Reika.

Hearing another set of footsteps approaching, Shou looked over to see a tall, broad-shouldered man enter the room. More than his size, just the weight of his presence and especially his dark brown gaze made Shou want to stand at attention for inspection. There was something in the way the man carried himself that made Shou believe that there was a lot more to him than met the eye. However, for the moment, Shou just wanted to survive the man's scrutinizing gaze.

"And this is my husband, Mr. Kurosaki."

Looking up at her husband, Orihime said, "Dear, this is Shou Kazehaya."

Crossing his arms and frowning slightly, "I figured as much."

He gave Shou another long look before he shrugged and said, "Well, come on in, Kid."

"Thank you, Sir."

Shou took off his shoes hastily before taking a pair of house slippers from Orihime and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Kurosaki."

As Shou put the slippers down so he could put his feet in, Orihime's hand suddenly flew to her cheeks as she exclaimed, "Oh! I almost forgot!" and then dashed headlong down the hallway.

Lurching away from the wall, Ichigo called after her, "Orihime! Don't wor-" but his thought was never finished as there was a loud squeak just before a tremendous, resounding _thump _from down the hall.

Without another word, Ichigo strode quickly down the hallway. Looking up at Reika in concern and confusion, Shou nonverbally asked what they should do. His question was answered when all the kids winced yet exchanged grins and walked calmly down the hallway after their parents.

Giving Shou a small smile, Reika said, "Happens a lot around here. And not just Mom."

Looking thoughtful, Reika went on, "Actually, the only ones in my family who don't do that a lot are Dad and Makoto."

"Oh," said Shou, "I see. So your mom will be ok?"

Tilting her head, Reika said, "C'mon," before leading him down the hallway.

When they got to the kitchen, apparently, Orihime was no worse for wear as she happily flitted around chopping, stirring, watching, tasting, grating and humming all the while. For his part, Ichigo stood casually against the wall again, but it seemed to Shou that Ichigo was ready to spring into action should the need arise.

Catching sight of Shou and Reika, Orihime said brightly, "Oh, I'm sorry about just now."

Shaking his head furiously, Shou said quickly, "No, no, no. I'm just glad you're ok."

"Well, aren't you considerate?" said Orihime as she added more vegetables to a fry pan and then looked over at her husband and said in a sugar sweet tone with a mischievous grin, "Don't you think so, Ichigo?"

Shou looked nervously at the tall man for a few nerve-wracking milliseconds before the latter grunted noncommittally. Over at the kitchen table, Ayaka and Sayuri giggled softly while Makoto rolled his eyes. Nobu and Natsuki were nowhere to be seen at the moment, but Shou's mind didn't dwell on that thought long as Reika silently invited him to join her and her siblings at the table. Inhaling deeply, Shou went over and sat down next to Reika.

After he had sat down, Orihime asked pleasantly, "So, Shou, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to hear a little more about you. I heard from Reika and Ayaka that you've been their classmate for a few years now, but that's about it."

Clearing his throat, Shou tried to keep his voice under control so that he wouldn't squeak in nervous excitement or mumble incoherently. He couldn't afford to mess this up.

"Well, I'm going to turn seventeen in a few weeks and yes, I've known Reika and Ayaka since we were in middle school. I do pretty well in academics-"

Here, Ayaka interrupted him good-naturedly saying, "Shou's just being modest. He's actually ranked in the top ten percent overall at our school."

"Really?" said Orihime as she turned to drain the vegetables in the sink and then turn the meat over in a different pan so that it wouldn't get too brown, "That is quite an accomplishment. I'm sure your parents are very proud of you."

"Oh yes. They have nothing to be ashamed of there," said Shou before he could stop himself and he desperately hoped that no one had paid any attention to his choice of words.

"Anyway," Shou went on hurriedly so that no one had a chance to inquire further, "besides school, I am involved in the kendo club at school-"

"Of which he is the vice-captain," cut in Ayaka again.

Clutching his pants and trying to will them to stop sweating, Shou said, "Well, yes, I guess I am, but outside of school I work at a bakery."

"Oh," said Orihime in a highly intrigued tone, "Which one?"

"Cloud 9."

"Oh," exclaimed Orihime, "I know that one! They do have really tasty bread, but I don't usually go by there since it's in a different area from where I usually do my grocery shopping."

Getting that same glint in her eyes, Orihime went on, "But, I suppose since it is on the way home from school, if I called Reika, she could pick up some specialty bread every now and again."

"What do you think, Ichigo?" asked Orihime innocently to which Ichigo replied with a shrug, "I suppose."

Just then, Nobu and Natsuki reappeared carrying several serving trays and bowls. These they deposited on the counter within easy reach for Orihime to put the food into. As Orihime started putting the finishing touches on the food, Sayuri, Ayaka and Reika took this as their cue to start setting the table and bringing over the filled bowls and platters.

When all was ready, Orihime ushered everyone to sit down. Then, after everyone had given thanks for the food, everyone began eating. Conversation was passed around the table as well as the food, which made Shou feel more at ease. While he would answer questions or make comments occasionally, for the most part, he was content to sit, listen and just take in the familial atmosphere.

After the meal, Shou was reluctant to heed Orihime's warning that he was to simply sit and not help with any of the cleaning up, but when Ichigo stood up and said, "Why don't we wait for them on the back porch," all Shou's protests that he really wanted to help died in his throat. The moment of truth had finally come.

Standing a little straighter, Shou followed Ichigo outside and stood to attention until Ichigo waved carelessly at one of the deck chairs and said, "Have a seat," to which Shou immediately complied.

Leaning back in his chair and stretching out his legs, Ichigo looked completely at ease and stared out over the backyard for a time. This gave Shou ample time to go imagine how he would botch things up when Ichigo finally got around to talking to him.

Shou flinched slightly when Ichigo asked casually, "So Shou…what is your family like?"

Trying to sound upbeat and calm, Shou said quickly, "Oh, my parents both work very hard and have very successful careers. I have an older brother who is my dad's assistant and has been for about five years."

"So he's considerably older than you?" inquired Ichigo.

"Yes," answered Shou simply.

"I see," said Ichigo vaguely.

Silence fell between them again for some time before Ichigo asked, "Shou, what do you think it means to be a part of a family?"

"Umm…I…" said Shou uncertainly, "…it means you're all related to each other somehow."

"Hmm," said Ichigo as he continued to look out over the lawn and rub his upper lip thoughtfully, "So a family only means people you are related to either through blood or marriage."

Realizing he must have said something that didn't please Ichigo, Shou said hastily, "All though, you could also consider your family to be people with whom you share a deep attachment or something like that."

"Interesting," said Ichigo as he finally turned his gaze on Shou as he asked, "So Shou, how far would you go to protect someone you considered to be family or who you had a deep attachment with?"

This time, Shou allowed the silence to stretch between them since he had absolutely no idea how to answer that question.

Deciding that honesty was the best policy, Shou answered, "I don't know. I've never thought about it before."

Looking back out over the lawn, Ichigo changed the subject as he said, "Earlier, you said that your parents have nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to your academics. From your tone, it made me wonder."

Ichigo didn't ask the question, but Shou heard it loud and clear. As much as he possibly could, Shou kept people from asking about his home life…or lack thereof. The last thing he wanted was for others to tease him or worse, pity him.

"Um," started Shou, "like I said earlier, Dad and Mom both have really good jobs, so my family's pretty well off. My brother is thirteen years older than me and has worked for my dad ever since his business internship during college."

Shou had difficulty coming up with the right words to say for the next part, so he hesitated as he said, "They're all so important at their jobs, so they work really long hours most of the time."

"So," said Ichigo slowly, "they're so busy with their own lives, they have no time to be interested in you."

It wasn't a question. Immediately, Shou's mind tried desperately to come up with some kind of defense for his family, but everything sounded completely fake in his mind.

What could he say about a mother who had once told him that he was a complete accident and if she could go back in time, she'd make sure she never got pregnant with him and have to take the time away from an important project at work? How could he defend an older brother who rarely ever acknowledged his existence because he was too busy managing his dad's affairs? Could he actually admire a father who only stayed married to his wife because he wanted customers and business partners to believe that he was a faithful husband and dependable father?

That was one of the reasons he had wanted to get to know Reika Kurosaki better. Over the years, Shou had come to the conclusion that he would spend the rest of his life pretty much alone since no one really saw him, but rather the family he came from. That is, until he met Reika. When they had been assigned to clean up the classroom after school together, Shou found himself genuinely enjoying spending time with her.

For a while, he couldn't figure out what it was about her that made him feel so at ease, but then Shou figured it out. Reika wanted to talk to him just so that she could get to know him. Not so that she could make a good impression on him. Not in order to get in his good graces. Not to try and confess her love to him and try to get him to go out with her. But just simply because she wanted to talk to him.

Then, when he got to know her sister Ayaka and seeing the two of them act around each other, that just made Shou want to be around her all the more. Where Ayaka was bright, vivacious and always willing to accept anyone into her circle of friends, Reika was reserved, polite and listened carefully to those around her. Because Shou tried to keep up good appearances at school and be nice to everyone, he found himself drawn to Reika because her presence relaxed him. She was like fresh air he could breathe.

Shou's attention was brought back to the present when Ichigo said, "Before I ask my next question, I'm just going to talk to you about a few things."

"Yes sir," said Shou, not knowing what else to say.

Rubbing his lip thoughtfully again, Ichigo said slowly, "A lot of people over the years have debated over whether people grow up to be who they are through nature or nurture. In other words, how much does a person's parentage and genealogy affect them, what role does their environment play or their role models and how much can be due to their own choices."

Frowning slightly in confusion, nevertheless, Shou listened carefully as Ichigo paused before he went on, "Obviously, each person is responsible for themselves and the choices they make, but I do think a person's history has a good deal to do with how some people turn out. If their past with their family was positive, if they are responsible, then they will model what they do after what they have seen. If the opposite, again, if that person is willing to take responsibility, then they will learn from past mistakes and move forward trying not to make those same mistakes."

Locking gazes with Shou, Ichigo said simply, "Whether or not you are close with your family, you have a connection with them. Also, whether you like it or not, you have learned things from them over the years."

Shou's eyes widened as the meaning of those words struck him. Would he someday turn out like his dad who just acknowledged his wife and children when people were watching and then go about his own life as if they weren't a part of it? Would he-

"I'm not saying you will turn out like them," cut in Ichigo, reading Shou's frightened look, "at least, if you choose not to. That is your choice. However, you shouldn't ever try to cut yourself off from them completely since they are your family."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Ichigo said, "I only say that to make my next point a little clearer. And that is that Reika is a Kurosaki. She is a part of our family. Just like you have a connection with your family, the same is true for her."

Getting a faraway expression in his eyes, Ichigo said softly, "I was there the day she and her sister were born. I held her in my arms. Woke up in the middle of the night to take care of her. Soothed her when her mouth was hurting from her first teeth. Carried her on my shoulders at festivals. Wiped away her tears when she found a dead bird in our back yard. Held her hand when she first walked to school."

Shaking himself slightly before turning his gaze back on Shou, Ichigo said in a stronger tone, "I could go on, but you get the picture, I think."

Nodding slowly in answer, Shou leaned forward slightly as Ichigo continued, "I'm not going to give you some speech about how I'll break your neck if you break my daughter's heart. You're not that kind of young man. If you had been, Makoto would have said something and I never would have let you come into my house."

For a split second, Shou thought Ichigo might have been joking, but on second thought, he seriously doubted it. Makoto was as quiet as Reika, but he was very observant and when he chose to speak his mind he didn't pull his punches. If he didn't like you, he'd tell you in no uncertain terms.

"All I'm going to say is this," Ichigo went on, "I have loved Reika since the day she was born. Her mother and I have done our best to raise her and we both want what is best for her."

Leaning his elbows, Ichigo paused for a moment before he said, "While I want my children to be independent and do things themselves, there are certain times when a parent needs to step in and protect their child. I love my wife and I love my children. Enough to die for them should the need arise."

Had he been sitting in a theater and watching an actor say something like that, Shou would have rolled his eyes. That line was so over-used and melodramatic. Rather like 'You complete me'. However, in this case, Shou could see that Ichigo meant every word and it made him wonder.

Heaving a sigh, Ichigo said, "I know you just came here to meet the family of the girl you like so that the two of you could start dating, but I want you to think very carefully before you take the next step."

Looking over towards the house, Ichigo said, "In my mind, while I am not going to keep my daughter from dating you if she wants, I will definitely disapprove if both of you simply want to be in a relationship because everyone else is doing the same thing. If the two of you begin a relationship, I want it to be because the two of you really believe you can work better together and support each other the way you might have to if you one day got married."

Again, Shou's eyes widened in surprise as Ichigo continued, "I'm not saying that you two will for sure stay in a relationship that long. It could be that the two of you go into a relationship with the best intentions in mind and find out later that you're not as compatible as you thought and that's all right."

Staring Shou straight in the eye, Ichigo said, "However, even if that was the case, you both still began the relationship on the assumption that it could turn into something permanent. You weren't doing it for 'fun'. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Shou nodded slowly as he processed what he had just heard. He did understand and he respected Ichigo for explaining things as he did. He had spoken very plainly and honestly about his views and thoughts and Shou couldn't help but think that he wished his own family were like the Kurosaki's. He'd have had a father he could go to for advice, a mother whose affection was freely given, siblings who would be happy to have him around.

Ichigo cut into Shou's thoughts as he said, "Also, consider this. Should things turn out between you and Reika, she would become a part of your family."

This thought sent chills down Shou's spine before he heard Ichigo say, "However, it would also make you a part of ours."

Giving Shou a half-grin, Ichigo said, "Even if you didn't decide to date my daughter and simply wanted to be friends with her and her siblings, I'm sure my wife would have absolutely no issues with 'adopting' you into our family anyway. She really took a shine to you."

Returning Ichigo's grin and feeling his cheeks burn, Shou mumbled, "I think I would really like that, Mr. Kurosaki."

Standing up and holding out his hand to Shou, Ichigo finished with, "Thank you for listening. I don't usually talk this long."

Accepting Ichigo's proffered hand, Shou stood up and said, "No, thank you, Mr. Kurosaki, for talking with me. I really would like to get to know everyone in your family better," he cleared his throat and tried to look Ichigo square in the eye as he said, "Especially Reika. I really respect her and she's…she's…well, she makes me feel so at ease. No one's ever made me feel that way, sir."

Ichigo nodded slowly before he ushered Shou ahead of him. When he opened the sliding door, Shou saw that the others had brought up a card game and everyone was laughing and having a great time.

Looking up to see her husband and Shou enter, Orihime cried out, "Oh! So you two are finished talking. We couldn't wait any longer and decided to play a game to pass the time. Would you two like to join us?"

"Sure," said Shou as he settled himself between Makoto and Sayuri so that he was across from Reika.

During the next round, Shou was dealt into the game while Ichigo simply sat next to his wife and watched, making occasional comments in the conversation or grinning at either Orihime's outbursts or one of the kid's exclamations.

As the game went on, Shou saw Ichigo wrap his arm around Orihime's shoulders and then press his lips against her hair. At the time, Orihime couldn't acknowledge Ichigo's display of affection as she was in the middle of doing something, but as soon as she was able, she turned around and gave her husband a sweet kiss on the cheek.

"Aww Mom!" groaned Nobu in mock disgust, "Don't do that at the table! It's distracting!"

Quirking an eyebrow, Makoto said sardonically, "One would think that Mom would be the one distracted since Dad kissed her first."

Throwing in his two cents, Natsuki slapped a hand over his eyes as he wailed, "Ahh! Don't remind us, Makoto!"

Taking advantage of Natsuki's distraction, Orihime took her turn and then cried out triumphantly, "I win!"

Both Nobu and Natsuki looked at the cards, then at their mother, then at each other before Makoto crossed his arms and said casually, "Well, if you two weren't so focused on your theatrics, you might have stopped her from winning."

Giggling as she collected the cards and shuffled them, Orihime said, "And now I get to collect the reward for my victory," which involved her turning around to properly face Ichigo and pull him down so that she could give him a kiss, good and proper.

Shou jumped slightly when he heard gagging and turned to see Nobu and Natsuki flailing their arms as they collapsed out of their chairs in mock agony.

Clutching at his throat, Nobu croaked, "Stop! Please!"

Twitching and letting out some spit for good measure, Natsuki groaned, "We're dying! From PDA! Someone stop them!"

Ichigo separated himself from Orihime only long enough to say, "Mind you don't hit your heads and dent the wood," before he went back to kissing Orihime.

When the evening eventually came to an end, Reika escorted Shou to the gate. They stood there for a few seconds before Reika broke the silence.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself, even with my family getting a little crazy towards the end there."

Grinning, Shou said sincerely, "I had a great time. I'd like to come back again soon, if that's all right."

Returning Shou's grin, Reika said, "Well, you still have the rest of my extended family to meet. And our close family friends are probably going to want to meet you sometime soon."

"Sounds great," Shou said, "I'd like to get to know all the people you love."

Beaming, Reika opened the gate and said, "All right then. I'll see you at school."

"See you then."

As they stood with their arms around each other, Orihime looked up at Ichigo and asked, "So, what did you think of Shou?"

"Time will tell," Ichigo answered, "but it's obvious that he and Reika like each other, so they'll at least start dating."

Inhaling deeply, Ichigo looked down at Orihime and said, "You got the same feeling I did about him, didn't you."

Nodding her head and giving Ichigo a smile tinged with a little sorrow, Orihime said, "Yes, that boy is very lonely. The way he lit up at the smallest compliment or sign of interest in him…"

Orihime's voice trailed off and her eyes started to fill as she said, "I don't understand. I just don't understand."

Kissing her forehead and rubbing her back, Ichigo murmured, "I know, Orihime. If nothing else, we can invite him over and make him feel like a part of our family."

Wiping her eyes, Orihime said, "You're right," before she went on with a smile, "And one day he might actually become a part of our family."

Heaving a mock sigh of resignation, Ichigo said, "Yes dear," before he leaned down to give her another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

And one more to go. Things have been busy this week, so the only thing I can hope for at this point is that this came out all right and events flowed smoothly from one to the other. Oh, that and hopefully Ichigo's speech sounded like something he would say...


End file.
